Improvement in steering mechanisms for velocipedes



To allwlwmt'tmay concern: l d

uit@ gialle? ANDREW onnlsrIAN,

70E NEW YORK, n.

Letters Patent No:108, 67,. "dated Hommel-T8, 1870;' Y

lMPRovsMENT m crissrune.I MEcnANisMs lFonv .v ELoclPEpss.

. -01.b4 x The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making of the same.

Be it known that I, A Nnnnw 'CHnIsTIAN, of the city, c ounty, and State of New' York, have invented.

^ a new and useful Improvement in Velocipcdes; and

I herebyvdeclarel that the following is a full, clear,

l' y and exact description thereof, reference being had't'o the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specitication.

My linvention relatesto an improvement .'u the steering mechanism of childrens velocipedes, particularly the class which is steeredA bythe feet o f the lider placed upon a doublelever connected by rods to the front axle ;v and reach, foot-lever, and its connecting-rods in `a velocipedc, oftwo racks or toothed segments or wheels, connected respectively to the said front axle and reach, the teeth vof' the one arranged to engage with the teeth of the other, whereby the turning of the front axle, at any desired angle to the reach, in order to cause the veloeipede to progress in the ,desired ldirection, is quickly and easily effected.

In thenccompanying drawingv Figure -1 is a plan or top view-oi` a childs velocipode, showing my improvement applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an inverted Vplan view of the forward part of' .the velocipede, showing the front wheels in a position to turn a curve.' A A designate the rear wheels of the velocip'ede,

which wheels are mounted uponan axle in the usual manner.

G designates af'seat for the rider, suitably supported upon the reach D.

Hand-levers E E, connected by rods a a, to spokes oi' the rear wheels, constitute the propelling mechanism.

F F arethe front wheels, mounted on a front axle, G, which latter is suitably pivoted .to the said rea-ch D..

A foot-lever, H, is pivoted to the reach D, and it carries ou each side ot' its fulcrum-pin aconuecting-- ..1'od, l), and these connecting-rods cross each Aother,-

and are pivoted to opposite sides of avtoothed plate, I, pivoted to the reach D; which engages with another toothed plate, J, secured to the front axle G.

I have shown in the drawing the toothed platesl as circular in form, but it is obvious that equivalent'.A` mechanism, anchas segments orracks, can be 'emf ployed, a sufficient number of' teeth being provided l. for effecting the turning of the forward 'axle at the, required langle to the reach to insure the-'turning of as sharp a curve as the construction Ac )fthe velocipedes, Vinother respects, will permit.

' It is obvious that ther-ods b b need not necessarily be constructed as shown, as they mayjbe parallel :with each other, or the points of connection at the onev terminusbe further apart than at the other, if de, sired,l and substantiallythe same result, in 'connection 'with the racks, will be produced. c 'ij' `iopailng'lisgsteering'nienitlialnsni, i-fis obvious that a. forward thrust of either one or the other of the feet upon the lever H will turn the front axle so as to direct lthe veiocpede in any given direction.

' By the use of these racks the rider is enabled to turn' the front axle, and hence the front wheels move more. precisely, readily, and easily, thanwhen the vconnectf ingrods take direct hold` of or be pivoted directlytol the front axle, as at present practiced.

rI am aware that toothed wheels, racks, 'and seg; ments are wellfknown. mechanical devices, and are constantly met with vin mechanical contrivances forchanging the position of certainpmts thereof, rela.- tively with other parts; but I know' of no instance,

prior tofmyinvention, where such devices have been applied to and combined with a childs velocipede for effecting the .turning of the steering-wheels ther-@df by the feet ofthe rider; and I d0 not claim any vsuch ,device irrespective of its combination in -a'childs velo-- cipede, so as to beoperate'd by force emanating. from the feet of the rider, as and for the purposes as hereinabove set forth.

' ,What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a i'elocipede, the combination of the vracks IJ with the front axle G, reach D, foot-lever H, and connecting-rods b b, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified. 1

' t A. CHRISTIAN \Vitness es:

M. M. LrvlNcsroN, l. B. Kanonen. 

